I'm confused.
Why is Massachusetts green?
What does this map mean?

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I don't get it either. I'm in Wyoming, but I take my meds willingly, no one forces me to take them.

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AOT laws allow psychiatrists to force citizens who have committed no crime to submit to a monitored outpatient regime of psychiatric drugs. AOT laws often allow for forced admittance into residential programs as well as forced electroconvulsive therapy. While psychiatrist must seek a court order to begin an AOT program, the process does not offer much protection as judge is likely to listen primarily to the psychiatrist when deciding on the need for it.

In states with AOT laws, a great many people still take medication voluntarily and not everyone who decides to stop their medication will be forced to take it by law.

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Always petition to go before a juury not a judge. It has huge effect.

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Forced psychiatry rulings are not considered criminal matters, and therefore the right to trial by jury is denied.

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To clarify, for example in New York under Kendra's Law, jury appeals are allowed after the sentence to AOT has been handed down and enforcement has already begun. However, even if the victim is able to get such an appeal (which is far from a certainty), the burden of proof in such appeals is on the victim to show that AOT laws were not properly enforced in the original hearing.

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In states in red, psychiatrists can petition the court to force non-criminal citizens to take medication. If the citizen does not comply they are placed in a hospital where they will be forced to comply. Often force participation in other treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy (shock treatment) is included in AOT legislation. States in green patients who have committed no crime have the right to refuse medication and things like electroconvulsive therapy.

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But in Massachusetts they have the right to force medications through the courts. Though usually they just force them through, well... force.

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In Massachusetts, forced medication can only be done inpatient, and even then the duration must be short and is reserved for only emergency situations. Unless you have committed a serious crime, you cannot be forced to take any medication outpatient.

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I apologize, in my sleepiness I missed the "outpatient" part. Sorry!

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Holy crap! That's a lot of red. Thank you for raising my awareness about this.

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This must be why my psychiatrist several years ago (in MA) bemoaned the fact that she could not force me to take anti-psychotics. (And I don't have a psychotic disorder!)

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This is frightening. I live in Florida.

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